National Healthcare Service (Istalia)
The National Healthcare Service (Istalian: Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, abbreviated SSN) is the publicly funded national healthcare administration which manages the insurance services offered by the State and which act also as regulatory and overseeing body for all the healthcare in Istalia. It si primarily funded through the general taxation system and overseen by the National Department of Health, part of the Ministry of Health and Social services, and it is responsible for the accessibility of the healthcare system in the country to all legal Istalian residents. Some services, such as emergency treatment and treatment of infectious diseases are free for everyone, including visitors. History Previously the most recent reform, the SSN managed directly a public healthcare service providing the majority of healthcare in Istalia, including primary care, in-patient care, long-term healthcare, ophthalmology and dentistry. This organization lasted since the middle of 44th century to 4488 and was established following a short period which saw the State running only a national social insurance to cover the health care expenses of poor and low-income families and/or individuals. Even earlier, in 4207, with the National Welfare Reform, the public healthcare service was reformed into a single-payer scheme system with the health services provided by private clinics, doctors and companies while the SSN was almost abolished, reduced to an agency of the Ministry of Health and Social services to handle the financial needs to cover the public subsides for the health insurances of the citizenship and for the basic health and emergency service, which any healthcare provider was obliged to ensure. Functioning The NHS mainly manages one of the two health insurances to which the istalian citizens must be insured. If it'is up to the citizens to take out their own basic General Healthcare Insurance, which is mandatory, the Government automatically assures all the citizens to the Long Term Healthcare insurance. For poor and low income families and individuals, the 4488 reform was completed with the provisions for a Healthcare Supplementary Allowance, a publicly founded insurance called which take shape in a monthly payout and can only be used for covering the costs of basic insurance A key feature of the system, which the SSN shall ensure that it is respected and applied by the private actors, is that premiums of the private insurances may not be related to health status or age. Risk variances between private health insurance companies due to the different risks presented by individual policy holders are compensated through risk equalization and a common risk pool. Funding for all short-term health care is 50% from employers, 45% from the insured person and 5% by the government. The istalian government department responsible for the SSN is the National Department of Health, headed by the Undersecretary of Health, which depends from the Ministry of Health and Social services. Services granted by the State to all citizens Currently the State provides several health care services which shall be assured to all citizens as per law. The State is so obliged to: *Pays partially for all citizens' pharmaceutical drugs and pays entirely for those of low income citizens. *Provides funding for abortions. *Offers free contraceptives in pharmacies and public toilets. *Funds gender reassignment surgery for people with low incomes. *Covers all the vaccination mandatory for all children Quality of the service Thanks to a well funded administration (the public healthcare has often absorbed the largest expensses of the national budget) and to the long lasting preserved convintion of the istalian politics and public opinion to grant an universal coverage for all the citizen, the Istalian healthcare is able to offer high quality services, the best in Majatra and one of the best all over the world. Health and Healthcare in Istalia '' See: Health in Istalia'' Category:Politics of Istalia Category:Governmental agencies and public services in Istalia